Pile driver



Oct. 10, 1961 THQMAS 3,003,747

PILE DRIVER Filed June 8, 1959 JNVENTOR. ENOCH J. THOMAS A T TORNEVS Unitfid States Patent 3,003,747 PILE DRIVER Enoch J. Thomas, 1009 Walnut St., San Carlos, Calif. Filed June 8, 1959, Ser. No. 818,782 7 Claims. (Cl. 254-49) This invention relates to pile drivers and, more particularly, to devices for driving heavy piles and posts without imparting damaging impacts thereto.

The major disadvantage of present pile drivers resides in the fact that they operate by repetitive impacts delivered by a tremendous weight against the top of the pile, thus requiring considerable expenditure of energy to overcome inertia and frequently causing damage to the piles as a consequence of the repeated intermittent impacts directly against the top of the pile.

It is, therefore, an object of my invention to provide a pile driving apparatus which forces piles into the ground without imparting intermittent impacts thereto directly against the top of the pile.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a pile driver which may be continuously operated with a minimum of inertia and consequently with a greater direction of energy to useful Work.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an apparatus for driving piles that is simple, quiet and reliable in operation.

The pile driver apparatus embodying this invention includes a housing slidably carrying a driving block in the form of an inertia member and adapted to be placed over a pile to be driven so that the inertia member rests on top of the pile. A roller is eccentrically mounted in the housing above the inertia member so that, when rotated, it imparts intermittent impulses to the block, producing movement thereof. Supported on a dividing wall spaced above the eccentric roller is a plurality of weights which may be selected to provide any desirable force against the bearings of the roller and, hence, against the pile itself.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent from the description following when read in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevation of a pile driver embodying features of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a section view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the pile driver; and

FIG. 4 is a partial section view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings in particular, the invention comprises a hollow housing 1 of any desirable cross section, such as the square section shown. The bottom of the housing 2 is open in order to receive therein a pile 3 to be driven. Freely slidable within the lower end of the housing 1 is a driving block 4 which, when the housing is placed over a pile 3, is supported directly on the pile. While the housing 1 is being transported into place by any suitable means, such as cables 5 hooked at 6 to the housing 1 the block is prevented from becoming separated from the housing by means of pins or lugs 7 thereon received in slots 8 in the housing. Suitable guide members of any desired construction, such as bearing members 9 slidable along guide poles 10, suspended from a crane or anchored in the ground G. are provided to guide the housing 1 vertically downward as the pile 3 is driven in a manner hereinafter to be explained.

Heavy reinforced plates 12 secured to opposite sides of the housing I carry suitable heavy duty bearings 13 for support of a shaft 14 on which is eccentrically mounted a roller or cam 15 for direct engagement with driving block 4. Rotation of the cam 15 is produced by means of a worm and pinion assembly 16 contained within a lubrication chamber 17 preferably afiixed to each side of the housing 1 and driven by electric motors 18 carried on the housing in vibration dampening mountings. Wh1le I do not propose to be limited to any specific structural dimensions, I have found that the optimum eccentricity lies in the range from inch to inch and that the reduction produced by the gearing should be in the ratio of ten to one to reduce an 1800 rpm. motor to deliver continuous smooth impulses to the driving block each minute.

A rigid dividing plate 20 is spaced above the cam or roller 15 so as not to impair the rotation thereof by excessive friction. Supported above the dividing plate 20 is a plurality of weights 21 of various magnitude which may be arranged one atop the other until any predetermined magnitude of downward force is imparted through the bearings 13 to the roller 15 and thence to the pile 3.

In operation, the housing 1 is placed over a pile and the motors 18 started with weights of several thousand pounds within the container so that a series of impulses are produced by rotation of the cam roller. Because the cam rotates in a single direction it does not have to overcome inertia by constant reversal as in the case of a reciprocating type pile driver. Also because both the cam roller 15 and the pile 3 are in continuous engagement with the inertia member or driving block 4, a series of smooth impulses are imparted to the pile to literally push it into the ground G. j

While I have shown a preferred form of my pile driver, it is apparent that modification can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention which I intend to be limited only by the claims appended hereto.

Having described my invention 1 claim:

1. Apparatus for driving piles comprising a housing open at the lower end thereof for accommodation of the top portion of a pile to be driven, a driving block within said housing at the lower end thereof, means mounting said block for relative up and down sliding movement with respect to said housing, the bottom surface of said block being engageable with the top of a pile received within said housing, a cam rotatably mounted in said housing about a substantially fixed axis transverse thereof and engageable with the upper surface of said block to deliver impulses thereto, force applying means of selected magnitude carried by said housing for applying weight urging said cam downwardly for continuous engagement against said block during rotation thereof, and means for rotating said cam.

2. Apparatus for driving piles comprising a housing open at the lower end thereof for accommodation of the top portion of a pile to be driven, a driving block within said housing at the lower end thereof, means mounting said block for relative up and down sliding movement with respect to said housing, the bottom surface of said block being engageable with the top of a pile received within said housing, a cam rotatably mounted in said housing about a substantially fixed axis transverse thereof and engageable with the upper surface of said block to produce downward movement thereof, weight supporting means in said housing spaced above said cam, weights of a selected magnitude supported in said housing on said support means for maintaining said cam in continuous engagement against said block, and means for rotating said cam.

3. Apparatus for driving piles comprising a body, a receptacle on the lower end of said body for accommodation of the top portion of a pile to be driven, a driving block within said receptacle at the lower end thereof, means mounting said block for relative up and down sliding movement with respect to said receptacle, the bottom surface of said block being engageable with the top of a pile received within said receptacle, a cam rotatably mounted in said receptacle about a substantially fixed axis extending transversely thereof and engageable with the upper surface of said block to produce downward movement thereof, force applying means of predetermined magnitude carried by said body for applying weight continuously urging said cam downwardly continuously against said block, and means lfOl rotating said cam.

, 4. Apparatus for driving piles comprising a bodyopen at the lower end thereof for accommodation of thetop portion of a pile to be driven, a driving block within said body at the lower end thereof, means mountingsaid block for relative up and down sliding movement with respect to said body, the bottom surface of said block being engageable with the top of -a pile received within said body, a cam rotatably mounted in said body about a substantially fixed axis transverse thereto and engageable with the upper surface of said block to produce downward movement thereof, a container on said body, a plurality of weights totaling a weight .of selected magnitude in said container continuously .to urge said cam downwardly continuously against said block, and means for rotating said cam.

' 5. Apparatus for driving piles comprising a body open at the lower end thereof for accommodation of the top portion of a pile to be driven, a driving block within said body at the lower end thereof, meansmounting said block for relative up and down slidingtmovement with respect to said body, the bottom surface of-said block being engageable with the top of a pile received Withinsaid body, a

V roller rotatably mounted in said body about a substantially fixed axis transverse thereof, said roller being eccentrically mounted to produce downward movement .of said block in response to rotation of said roller, .force applying means ofselected magnitude carried by said body for applying weight continuously urging said roller downwardly continuously against said block, and means for rotating said roller.

6. Apparatus for driving piles comprising a body open at the lower end thereof for accommodation of the top portion of a pile to'be driven, a driving block within said body at the lower end thereof, means mounting said block for relative up and down sliding movement with respect to said body, the bottom surface of said block being engageable with and supported on the top of a pile received within said body, a roller eccentrically mounted in said body about a substantially ,fixed axis transverse thereof, a container on said body spaced above said roller, a plurality of weights applying a downward force of selected magnitude on said roller, said roller being in continuous engagement with said block when said block is supported .on a pile to produce downward movement thereof, and means forrotatingtsaidroller.

7. Apparatus for driving piles comprising a housing for accommodation of the top portion of a pile to be driven, a driving block structure within said housing for continuously resting .on-the top of a pile, means mounting the block structure for relative up and down sliding movement with respect to said housing whereby when the block structure rests on the pile the housing can move up and down relative to the block structure, a cam within said housing, means mounting said cam on said housing and above said block structure for eccentric rotation about a substantially fixed axis extending trans versely of the housing whereby said cam and housing are continuously supported bysaid block structure when said block structure rests on said pile, means in said housing spaced above said cam for supporting weight means, and means forrotating said cam to move the housing, cam and weight means up and down and thereby impart through said cam a series of smooth impulses to the pile.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,407,444 Pfingsten Sept. 10, 1946 2,776,110 Hoistad Jan. 1, 1957 2,825,207 Cullunt Mar. 4, 1958 

